Player of the Week:
Julian Champagnie (Saint John’s)
Another entertaining week in the Big East and Champagnie is the first player to get player of the week twice this season here on the Big East Blog. He returned for another season with the Red Storm to increase his draft stock and he is doing just that. Currently the highest rated player in the conference in terms of 2022 NBA draft stock value, Champagnie put up some big-time numbers this week. Here is his stat line leading Saint John’s to go 2-0 this week: 29.0 ppg, 5.0 steals per game, 4.5 rebounds per game and 4.0 assists per game. Career high seven steals vs Butler grabs the attention of all NBA scouts, especially since many questioned his defensive abilities last season.
Who’s Hot:
Saint John’s Red Storm
Here comes the Storm. Saint John’s is rolling right now in the Big East with two double digit wins this week, one of which being the 91-57 win over Butler. This margin of victory tied the most in school history against a Big East opponent. Although this was a big Win, the 13-point victory on the road at Xavier was more impressive. They now sit tied for 6th in the Big East with 3 of their remaining opponents being against teams ahead of or tied with them in the overall standings. Ending the season 4-0 would be strong for their resume with March right around the corner.
Villanova Wildcats
The Wildcats were ready. They headed into Providence Tuesday night and took care of business over the number one team in the Big East. Although the score was close, Villanova controlled this entire game. The combo of Collin Gillespie and Justin Moore is disgusting. Arguably one of the best backcourts in the nation, the two combined for 52 of Villanova’s 89 points. 89 was also the most they scored in a Big East game this year, against an Ed Cooley defensive unit.
Who’s Not:
DePaul Blue Demons
Despite being without star player Javon Freeman-Liberty, DePaul has been competing with teams every night. They have lost four straight games and are falling out of competition in the Big East. Even though they are on a four-game losing streak, three of those games were lost by three or less points. They lost by only three points to Providence on the road. Freeman-Liberty has played in their last three games, but they still came up short losing by two to Seton Hall on the road.
Xavier Muskateers
Losing four of their last five, Xavier needs to get back on track now being in jeopardy of making the Big Dance. According to Joe Lunardi’s current bracket breakdown on ESPN, Xavier sits at a seven seed. This week they lost two games by double digits to Saint John’s and UConn. The biggest reason for their losses comes from the rebounding battle. In all four of their recent defeats, they trailed the opposition in rebounds. Against UConn they were out rebounded 42-26. They aren’t playing bad basketball; they just need to prevent the opposition from getting more opportunities from rebounds.
Top fFve Shot Blockers
#5 Adama Sanogo (UConn)
Sanogo is more known for his offensive scoring abilities, but he can be an elite defender. He has had two games this season recording 6+ blocks with one being in the big overtime win over Saint John’s when he had 26 points.
#4 Isaiah Whaley (UConn)
Whaley stands at 6’9” but has the quickness of a guard. His ability to track down players on the fast break is impressive to watch. He is one of the most athletic players in the Big East with a solid vertical. Not only can he block shots but is arguably one of the best defenders in the conference.
#3 Kur Kuath (Marquette)
A new face for the Marquette program, Kuath has been a big reason for Marquette’s success on defense this year. He is another tall and athletic player who discourages players to enter the paint. He’s had seven blocks in two separate games this season both leading to victories over Seton Hall and Providence.
#2 Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton)
The second tallest player behind our #1 shot blocker on this list, Kalkbrenner has turned into an elite center after not starting last season. He has seven games this season with 5+ blocks averaging 2.8 blocks a game.
#1 Ike Obiagu (Seton Hall)
Seton Hall’s starting center doesn’t show much on the stat sheet other than the number of blocks he has racked up this season. He averages 2.5 points per game and guess how many blocks? 3.3. There may not be another player in the nation who averages more blocks than points, but this shows his role for the pirates. He is a problem in the paint and forces opposing players to be hesitant when driving to the hoop.